Well that’s rather unexpected….and cool. Nice plot twist there! I’m excited to see what this will bring about. Does that also release Arthur? I don’t recall exactly but wasn’t the main reason Dan couldn’t come to DL was because the previous king was locked in limbo somehow so the successor “proper” king couldn’t ever come to be.

When I first saw the page I thought those magic circles were cross hairs. Someone’s targeting Nic’s hands from a distance and about to launch magic missiles at him! Maybe that’s what comes up in Nastajia’s eyesight when she activates her bow. ;P

Wait a minute, the sword said so itself, there was never any curse to keep Daniel out of Dreamland. Arthur being stuck in limbo was what prevented the succesion from taking place. This is either another ruse from jolly old nick, an uforseen circumstance, or a plot hole. (though I doubt the last one.

I don’t understand the natura of this curse.
I don’t recall anything from the previous chapters about a course on Daniel.
As fas as I can recall Daniel can’t enter Dreamland because Arthur is still alive in limbo.
Also the Sword clearly stated that Alex is the legitimate King of Dreamland.
Is there something wrong with Nic’s magic incantation?
Also:
Cool magic air signs.
I thought that Nic was trying to use uber mystic/powerful magic to defeat “now determined for everything” Alex.
But Scott choose to make a surprise!
Well done!

I was definitely confused at first. But then I interpreted it as a figurative curse of luck… but that just left me wondering what Nic is doing here. My post below explains my suspicion. Regardless, it’s definitely confusing.

It’s obviously not a curse as such. Just that as long as there’s a King, the next in line for the throne can’t enter Dreamland. Since Arthur wasn’t dead all those centuries, no new King could arise. Once Alex took the Sword, everything changed. The problem as I see it is that now Alex is King, and he hasn’t deferred to Daniel. Simply allowing Daniel an exemption and special access to Dreamland wouldn’t change that. For this to work the way Nic seems to want it to he’d have to be trying to brute force a transition, banishing Alex and bringing in Daniel. Or, having given Daniel access, he intends to kill Alex…

For clarity, then, how about: “I release Arthur from his curse! Your brother is no longer barred from Dreamland!” Or maybe: “I revoke the curse upon Arthur!” …since Arthur is dead, and saying “I release him” in present tense makes it sound like he’s still alive.

Though I have to admit, the way it’s worded in the comic, it sounds like he’s either messing with Alex (casting doubt, since there was no curse on Daniel but maybe Alex will be too distracted to put two and two together), or he’s going to let Daniel in by killing Alex, like chocobochicken said (and those magic symbols are suddenly going to shoot something at him).

Does Nicodemus understand the magic keeping Dan out? (And thus the panel needs reworded) Or is he instead removing the “curse” he believes is in effect and is casting a spell that will have unintended consequences…or no magical effect at all? Guess we’ll know better on Monday.

1. The curse kept Arthur between the worlds along with his sword. As long as he kept possession of the sword, the rightful king could not appear in Dreamland. Every rightful king from Arthur to the present day was kept out because Arthur was not truly dead. Since only the rightful king could take the sword, this meant Nicodemus would always be King.

2. The curse kept Daniel, the rightful king, out of Dreamland, but a technicality in the wording of the curse allowed Daniel’s twin brother Alex to enter Dreamland as the future King. When Alex took possession of the sword, Alex became the king and Arthur passed on – free of the curse.

3. Alex is king, rather than Daniel, so Daniel still cannot enter Dreamland. While the curse remains, Daniel can only become king if Alex is dead and Daniel has the sword.

Here is my suggestion: have the wording of the curse be such that it affects the King of Dreamland (e.g., the figurative “Crown of Dreamland”), whoever holds it, rather than an individual like Arthur (or Alex). When Alex became King by taking possession of the sword, Arthur was no longer cursed and passed on, so the curse shifted to Alex.

“I abate the curse upon the Crown of Dreamland! Your brother is no longer barred from Dreamland.”

Well… if you think about it, there *is* a curse on Dan. But it’s a figurative curse, not a literal one. For a human to be banned from Dreamland, to never visit and see it’s wonders? That is a curse indeed.

Short version: no specific curse was cast on Dan. But the law of the land prevents future kings from entering Dreamland while a legitimate king is still in rule. Alexander inherited this rule directly from Arthur when he pulled out the sword as a young boy.

So in light of today’s comic, Nic is probably not dismissing some previous spell. He’s going to allow Daniel to enter Dreamland by permanently eliminating the current ruler–Alexander!

I’m thinking that Nicodemus may have been the one to put “the law of the land” into place to begin with. So he’s just canceling the whole “there can’t be two kings at once” thing. I doubt he’s going to try killing Alex, if only because he will need Daniel’s cooperation later on. Besides, even though Alex is not helping Nic, he’s not exactly opposing him either.

Of course there is the problem that Daniel isn’t asleep right now, he’s staying up late talking with Titania and Oberon. So unless Nic’s spell is really special it’s not going to change things immediately…

We know there’s no literal curse on Daniel. The only thing is that law about not having 2 kings at once. Assuming Nic here can repeal that… ok great, so Daniel can come now. And Alex can still be there. So now we can have both of them there at the same time.

This sounds like a good thing to me. What’s supposed to be the bad side?

It seems simple enough to me – Dan can’t enter Dreamland while Alex is alive. Therefore, Alex is the curse on Dan, and Nic will remove that curse by killing Alex. It sounds more portentous than “I will kill you for not doing as I say”, and may throw Alex off enough the succeed. Maybe.

Alex is King. He’s got the Sword. Even if Daniel can now enter Dreamland he can’t be King unless Alex abdicates or dies. Unless Daniel is King he’s not much use to Nic. Therefore, Alex is suddenly expendable in Nic’s view, and he might try to expend him.

I agree with Tomek. It sounds as if Nic is “allowing” Dan to enter Dreamland as the rightful king. Alex is the “current” king.
It looks as though Nic is allowing for there to be two kings or adult humans at one time in Dreamland.

That gives way for the question, “For how long?” BUT, when we spoke with Orion or spent some time with King Arthur and Merlin we learn that Native American Indians, and some others, have been able to “dream” their way into Dreamland.

Oh, of COURSE Nic is stupid enough to kill Alex. He’s tried it several times before, after all. The question is, is he smart enough to think of something different to do? A lot will depend on exactly what his spell is going to accomplish…

That is Nic for you. Can’t convince, cajole or browbeat the king into doing what you want him to do? Then change the rules and bring in a king you think you *can* manipulate. Ah, the big scaly schemer….

With the new dialogue, I’m would LOVE to see the spell fizzle in front of Nic. That would be the most awesome result as he realizes that he’s going to have to deal with Alex in spite of the rest. The Waaa Waaa sound would be heard from Earth at this point.

If the sword vanishes while he’s still in Dreamland, does that mean he gets stuck there where he is? Though if he does just go back, like Nick intends, there is always the option of using the gate to go back again. After all, Nastajia’s parents need to get back to Dreamland too. What if the whole group goes along?

hehehe. Is he getting inspiration from Agent Smith for his analogies? XD Why is Alex a cancer? Is it because of his growing influence? But we haven’t shown that the people he’s influenced are as near sighted as he is…